Family Ties
by TheWaffleKid
Summary: The Gang is grown and "adulting." Even though Zeke isn't in college yet things are great, the main reason being that his relationship with Jay is going well. But trouble comes in the form of his good-for-nothing uncle, who carries on his rep for World's Worst Uncle when he crosses a line at Rodney Thompson's birthday party.
1. Chapter 1

1: Birthday Boy

Zeke Thompson leaked a motorcycle of its old oil and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Personally, he loved getting greasy and dirty when he worked because it gave him a sense of accomplishment. He even went as far as calling the grease on his face "war paint."

"What is it this time?" a voice asked over his shoulder.

Grinning, he turned to look at Jade Quelin, his high-school sweetheart. "An oil change."

She snickered when she got a good look at him. "I like that you have it smeared on your face."

"What? This?" he held up his grease-covered fingers.

"Yes."

He reached out to caress her face, but she backed away. "No! You're going to get me all messy!"

"That's kind of the point."

"No, no babe!" Jay kept jumping away from his advances. "I still have to go do stuff after this."

Chuckling, Zeke stood up and used a rag to wipe his hands. "So what's up, why visit?"

"Welll," Jay opened her messenger bag and pulled out a box with decorative wrapping. "I wanted to come give your father an early birthday gift."

He grinned as he looked at the box. "I'm surprised you remembered."

"Why wouldn't I? We've grown to be rather close even though we had a pretty rough start, to say the least," Jay said with an embarrassed smile.

In the beginning of Zeke and Jay's relationship, he snuck his girlfriend in to stay one night and his father caught them in his room. As much as Jay wanted to curl under a rock and DIE, Rodney Thompson smirked and wished his son a good night. It took months for Zeke to convince Jay that his father didn't care about it as much as she thought he did. He went as far as telling her the joke Rodney made about using a condom which made her face heat up.

"B-But, we only went to sleep!" she had stuttered.

Zeke smiled and shook his head at the memory. "The very least."

She cleared her throat. "Anyway, I wanted to give him this in person to add that personal touch. Where is he?"

"Over by the desk, probably taking calls." As the tall biker led her to the garage's office, she snaked her hand in his. Zeke took that moment to thank the higher beings for her existence. Without her, who knew where he'd be? She was the one that gave him the strength to hang on a little longer for his crappy life to take a turn for the better. Ever since it had, he couldn't remember the last time he had a bad day. At least not without having her there to cheer him up. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze before opening the door and facing his father.

Rodney Thompson had experienced some stuff in his life. An ex-alcoholic, he looked a little older than he really was. His hair was more grey than black and his skin had long lost its youth. He smiled warmly once he saw Jay. "Well hello there, my favorite daughter."

Zeke shook his head. "Nope, you need to stop. That makes me self-conscious about our relationship."

Scoffing, Jay pulled her hand out of his and smacked his arm.

"Besides," Zeke continued, "she'd be your ONLY daughter. Both biological and in-law."

Rodney shrugged and opened his arms for a hug. "Still my favorite."

Jay gave him the box as soon as they pulled away. "I wanted to give you this."

Rodney took the top off and took out a new push blade with his initials on the grip. "Simple, elegant. I love it." He hugged her again. "Thank you, Jay."

As he admired the blade, Jay leaned against the counter. "So are there any plans to celebrate your birthday tonight? Maybe a fancy dinner?"

"We're having a small party over at our house," Zeke said. "First one in…how long?"

"A few years." Rodney pushed the blade down and put it in his pockets, setting the box aside on the counter. "You and your friends are definitely welcomed to come."

"Oooh, fun," Jay said with her wide Vampire Smile. "I'll be sure to come."

Zeke snorted under his breath and since Jay caught on to his joke, she smacked him on the arm again. "We'll all be sure to ARRIVE."

"Can't wait to see you there." Rodney laughed at the dynamics between the two lovebirds.

"See you later, Rod."

As the pair walked out to the garage again, Jay chided her boyfriend. "You are unbelievable, you know that? I'm almost tempted to eat this MEATBALL SANDWICH without sharing it."

Zeke glanced and saw her pull out a sub from her messenger bag. "Aw what?" He stopped in front of her and wrapped her in a hug. "Only the best girlfriend in the world would give it to me, regardless of what I said."

She narrowed her eyes playfully. "Absolutely not, hon."

He caressed her face, stroking his thumb under her eyes to smear a little bit of grease. "You look like a warrior goddess."

"Which, I hope is a good thing," she joked.

"Mm-hmm."

While they were sharing a kiss, Zeke managed to sneak the sandwich away. She didn't care and she shouldered her bag when they pulled away. "I'll see you tonight."

"Ditto."

"And I LET you take the sandwich, don't think otherwise!" she called over her shoulder as she left.

 **-XYZ-**

Sooooo here's just a quick story I whipped up. It won't be too long. The Gang is older in this little "spin-off," so there will be a few mature references and all that. Anyway, I'm super excited because I just found out that the Minutemen is on Hulu! I already saw it and plan on watching it again soon.


	2. Chapter 2

2: Long Lost Uncle

Zeke was running through a checklist in his mind, trying to remember if he forgot anything important for the party. It's been so long since he'd been a host, he was worried he was going to ruin the night by forgetting something major. He just hoped he could scrape by and make it a decent event for his friends to attend.

A wide grin formed on his lips when he saw Jay arrive. He had offered her his room so she could change for the party and he was expecting her to accept since the pair acted like a married couple now, but she declined. One of the main reasons was because she didn't want to draw too much attention to their relationship, what with Rodney's condom joke.

"Hey, you look beautiful," he greeted her with a quick peck.

Regardless of their time together and the countless times he had complimented her, Jay smiled and bowed her head shyly. "I kind of feel like I overdressed, but thank you."

"You kidding? You look good in stripes."

"As would you, hon."

Zeke took a swig of his beer and shook his head. "Naaah. I'll leave the looking good part to you."

"Too late." Jay tippy toed and kissed his cheek before scanning the party. "So how is it? You need anything? Everything good?"

"I hope so."

"I take it you're drinking because you're trying to relax then?" Jay pointed to Zeke's beer. Although he was just shy a year, Zeke drank occasionally at home which was better than drinking out in a club. Or a bar.

He shrugged. "What? I'm at home and I'm not planning to go anywhere."

"What if I were to need a ride back home?"

Grinning playfully, Zeke slouched over her and placed a finger under her chin. "About that—"

The front door opened again and Virgil Fox popped his head in. He smiled and waved once he saw Zeke. "Hey!"

Cracking the door open even more, Virgil was followed by Stephanie Jameson, Charlie Tuttle and Jeanette Pachelewski.

"Guys, nice to see that you made it." Zeke greeted each one of his friends with a quick handshake and a hug. Virgil and Charlie luckily grew since high school, but they still didn't reach Zeke's towering height. However out of the three of them, Charlie had changed the most. His two friends were glad to see that he was at least taller than Jeanette now.

"Here, we all pitched in to buy this for your dad." Virgil handed Zeke a decent sized birthday bag. As the tall teen led his group of friends through his small house, he lifted his beer bottle.

"You guys can have some and spend the night if you want. My father won't really care."

Charlie's eyes widened. "Are you serious? Do you know what alcohol does to your brain cells?"

"Okay, well Charlie's obviously out."

Virgil raised his hand, being the only one that was actually of age to consume alcohol. "I'll take one."

Everyone else politely declined the offer. Jay was the only other one who snuck sips from Zeke's bottle here and there. The group found Rodney amongst his own friends and wished him a Happy Birthday before going off and enjoying the food. They sat in a circle out on the porch, laughing and sharing stories when the front door opened and a man came stumbling in. Curious as to who the late party guest was, Zeke gently prompted Jay off his lap and went to check it out. The closer he got, the more familiar the man seemed and Zeke's blood froze before he made it past the kitchen.

It was Earl Thompson, his good-for-nothing uncle.

The way Zeke saw it, Uncle Earl had been responsible for the crappy parts of his life. He was the one that got his father addicted to smoking and drinking, he got involved with bad people, he almost put their motorcycle shop out of business and he never gave any support when Rodney and Zeke needed it. As far as Zeke knew, Earl wasn't around to give Rodney emotional stability when his wife (Zeke's mother) passed. In the past years of his absence, things slowly started getting better. Earl hadn't passed through the Thompsons' mind once and now that he was back, Zeke wished he had stayed gone.

The tall biker approached his uncle with a scowl. "What are you doing here?"

The man slightly resembled his father, but he was worse for wear. He smiled, showing his yellowed teeth. "Look at you, Zeke Thompson! You're even taller than your pop!"

He opened his arms for an embrace, but Zeke stayed where he was.

"I repeat. What. Are you doing here?"

Earl looked confused. "Well…It's Rod's birthday today, isn't it? Or did I forget AGAIN?"

 _Like you forgot for the past six years?_

Zeke felt a hand on his arm.

"Is everything okay?" Jay muttered, keeping a careful eye on the newcomer in response to Zeke's hostility towards him.

"I'm disgusted to say he's my uncle."

"Well, considerin' the banners and the food and all these party guests, I say I'm not mistakin'," Earl said with a drunkenly smug smile.

Zeke glared at him while he thought of courses of action. Since it was Rodney's special day Zeke figured the final say should be left to him. Looking back, he saw his father already making his way up to the front towards them. Rodney's eyes didn't gleam in joy at seeing his brother after his six-year absence; his expression remained stern. "Earl, what do you need after all this time?"

Earl shrugged. "What, I can't come and say Happy Birthday to my younger brother?"

Zeke gritted his teeth, despising his uncle's voice. Aside from that, he felt Earl had an ulterior motive and he wished he knew what it was. Rodney remained distant and serious.

"Well, if that's the case, thank you. You're welcome to stay until the party ends, but that's it you hear? Don't start any problems."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

The way he said it made ants crawl down Zeke's spine and he turned tail to head back to the porch, Jay following him closely. He leaned on the wooden rails and took a big gulp of beer.

 _I'm going to need a lot more than I thought._

Sensing her significant other was uneasy, Jay rubbed circles in his back without saying a word, figuring he'd start talking when he was ready.

"Dude, are you okay?" Virgil asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

The biker didn't like having an audience when it came to having personal conversations, Jay knew that. To leave Virgil and Zeke alone, she turned and asked their friends if they had tried all the food, leading them inside to the kitchen.

It took another minute before Zeke started talking. He ran a hand up and down his face in frustration. "I don't understand what he's doing here."

"What do you mean?"

"Virg, this guy's a dick," Zeke said bluntly, jabbing a finger behind him to indicate Earl. "He's only coming around because he needs something from us, like my father said, and it bothers the shit out of me that I can't figure out what it could be."

"Do you really think he'd do that on your dad's birthday?"

"He's done worse before."

"Well…I don't know your uncle as well as you do but today IS your father's birthday. It's been a while since you guys have done something like this for anything," he glanced back at the guests in the house. "We should just try to enjoy it, figure out the rest of this stuff later."

Zeke sighed. Virgil did have a point…as usual. "All right."

The pair rejoined their friends and went back to relaxing on the porch, although Zeke snuck glances of Earl occasionally. The tension soon eased and the group was back to joking like before. After finishing her second beer, Jay asked Virgil and Zeke if they wanted another one, heading to the kitchen to check the fridge for any drinks. After she rinsed her hands she leaned on the sink for a while, acknowledging the buzzed feeling the alcohol was starting to bring.

 _I'm such a light weight._

She felt a body lean against her and a hand trail up her leg, lifting her skirt as it snaked up her thigh. For a split second, she thought it was Zeke and she turned to confront him. Her heart froze when she turned to face Uncle Earl.

"So yer one of Zeekie's friends are ya?" Uncle Earl asked with a slur in his words. "Yer very pretty."

Even though Jay's heart hammered in fear, she pushed Earl's hand away. He had a glass full of alcohol and he took a gulp, stumbling closer and forcing her against the side of the fridge. "And you do know how to pick out a dress."

He was uncomfortably close, running his hand down her waist and reaching the edge of her skirt. The second his hand started lifting it, she gasped and shoved him away on pure instinct. Her throat was beginning to well up so it was getting hard to breathe properly, but she glared at him and found a stern voice. "Get away."

Earl was relentless. He broke the personal bubble bounds again, placing his free hand on her shoulder and running it down her arm. "You know what stripes are good fer?"

He looked down at her chest with a sly smile and used a finger to start pulling the collar of her top down. It made Jay feel dirty and she was about to hit him in the face with the back of her hand when suddenly, Zeke grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him away. The biker forced his uncle to turn and he punched him in the face, sending Earl stumbling over his feet.

"You sick son of a bitch," Zeke snarled before turning his attention to Jay, who was beginning to go into shock. While Virgil and Charlie jumped in front of their friends to block them in case Earl wanted to attack, the biker grabbed Jay's head and forced her to look at him. "Babe, baby are you okay? Did he touch you?"

Jay gulped and shook her head quickly, relieved that he was there to help her.

Zeke quickly embraced her and stroked the back of her head. "It's okay. I'm here."

Jay closed her eyes and clung onto his shirt, trying to get the knot in her throat to loosen. While he comforted her, Zeke glared daggers at Earl, wishing he could give him a few more punches. Earl merely sat up, grabbing the side of his face while exclaiming, "What the hell happened?!"

Upon hearing his voice, Jay's fear was replaced with disgust and anger. She pulled away from the hug, reached down to take off a heel and threw it at Earl's head. "You fucking pervert!"

"Ouch! Fuck!"

Unaware that she was starting to shake (either out of anger or fear, she didn't know), Zeke grabbed her and kissed her forehead before handing her off to Stephanie and Jeanette. The guests had gathered around to see the commotion, but the friends didn't pay any attention to them. Zeke pushed past Virgil and Charlie and gabbed the back of Earl's jacket, practically dragging him to the front door.

"You're going to get up and get the hell out of here," he snarled, ignoring Earl's struggles to get to his feet.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Rodney called above all the commotion. He rushed to his son and brother, stepping between them and separating them. "What's going on? Why are you kicking him out of the house?"

Zeke jabbed a finger at Uncle Earl, who was on the floor gasping for air. "That ANIMAL was on the verge of groping Jay, Father."

Rodney looked at Jay-who was in between Stephanie and Jeanette-with a worried expression. They held eye contact for a second before Rodney asked if it was true.

Jay nodded. "He was going up my skirt and pulling my collar down."

Rodney's expression hardened when he looked back at Earl and he bent down to yank him to his feet. "That girl is more a part of this family than you ever will be, Earl. You're lucky she's not deciding to call the cops."

He led him to the door with as much force as Zeke was in fact, he almost made him trip over his own feet again. "I don't care where you go, but don't even think about coming back here again."

With that, he kicked his brother out of his birthday party and slammed the door behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

3: The Uncle's Request

Zeke had grown to look forward to the weekends, mainly because it meant he had the house to himself. It was relaxing to sit in the silence at times and it was nice to know that when he and Jay got down they didn't have to worry about how loud they became. At times, he felt like they were married seeing as how they shared his house when they were alone. They'd do lots of house related things together from cooking to hosting a movie night with their friends.

Come Saturday morning, the pair found themselves cleaning up after the party. They were more silent than usual and Zeke felt a hint of tension from Jay. No doubt she was still affected from what happened last night with Uncle Earl. Repetitively, Zeke had asked her if she was really okay and she'd reply with a curt, "Fine."

Her tone and her demeanor told Zeke she needed some alone time. He just hoped she wasn't remembering what happened like he was. His blood boiled as he recalled seeing Earl corner Jay and lift her skirt. He had stood in a blind rage and stormed into the kitchen, yanking him away as he was starting to pull down her top. Again, he wished he could have thrown a few more punches to relieve his fury.

 _I need a drink._

Just thinking about it made him uneasy and he went to his fridge to pull out one of the beers from last night. After taking a swig, Jay snaked her hand along his, taking the bottle from him.

"That's not necessary yet, is it?" she read the label and set the bottle aside.

"For me it is," he grunted.

Jay could see he was feeling upset because of her. She stood in front of him, leaning against his body, and she brought her hands up to his neck. "Babe, I'm fine. He didn't do anything to me. He just grossed me out."

Zeke sighed and brought his hands around her hips. "I'm pissed that I didn't take care of you properly. And that I didn't knock the fuck out of him. He deserved way more than a stupid punch."

Jay chuckled softly and kissed his cheek. "I love how I feel safe when I'm with you. The second you pulled him away, I was relieved you know. You were like, my knight in shining armor or something."

Zeke smiled. "I'm hardly a knight. If anything I'd want to be a mercenary. Or a thief."

"MY mercenary slash thief." Jay kissed his lips and went back to cleaning. "Come on, let's finish this so we can relax the rest of the day."

It took about two hours to clean everything and sanitize it and they ordered a pizza when they were done. While they ate, they attempted to watch a movie but their cuddling turned into something more intense and Zeke picked his girlfriend up, carrying her to his bedroom.

He kissed her neck and she laughed, "Wait, the pizza!"

"Forget the pizza, we'll order more if we get hungry."

Zeke slammed his bedroom door shut behind him in case his father came back; the last thing anyone needed was another awkward situation.

Based on Jay's physical responses Zeke's intuition told him she needed to be treated gently or at least...they needed to start off that way. Her eyes gleamed softly but he also detected something else. Urgency? When he was younger, Zeke remembered learning about rape victims and how they felt...dirty, guilty and disgusted after the experience was over. Although Jay wasn't raped, he wouldn't have been surprised if she was harboring the same emotions.

Zeke entered slowly and used his whole length each time he pulled out. When they started having sex, she confessed she enjoyed it when they went nice and easy. It was the complete opposite with Zeke, but it was probably like that with all couples. The only sounds in his room was his creaking bed and her quiet gasps. She placed a hand behind his neck and kissed him softly.

"I love you," she whispered in his ear when she pulled away.

Zeke looked her in the eyes, smiling softly. "I love you too."

They spent the next hour and a half messing around until they were too tired to keep going. Propped up against his backboard, Zeke stroked Jay's hair repeatedly. They found that it was comforting for them both, but Zeke liked it especially when they weren't clothed. It was probably because nakedness was a sign of vulnerability and the fact they both snuggled together with nothing on showed trust. Jay chuckled lightly and snuggled closer to her boyfriend. "I don't know how I became lucky enough to catch you."

Zeke grinned. "I should be saying that about you. You're just…so perfect."

Jay sat up and met his steel blue eyes. She used her hand to stroke his messy hair back gently. "No, not perfect. But perfect for you. Just as you're perfect for me. Everything about you…It's like you were hardwired specifically for me, hon. And you have no clue how grateful I am that I met you."

She kissed his forehead and whispered, "You're mine."

She rolled to the side and reached down for Zeke's shirt. "I'm getting the pizza. Want a slice?"

He watched her throw it on and smiled. "Wait, wait, wait. Come here."

"Zeke, no. I know what you're going to say," she laughed.

He paid no mind and wrapped his arm around her waist, dragging her back to his side.

"Zeke, I'm hungry. Let me go get the pizza box."

The biker pinned her arms above her head and stared down at his shirt. "You look—"

"I look good in your shirts, I know," Jay interrupted with a giggle. With his free hand, Zeke fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, which just barely covered the top part of her thighs.

"Just one more time," Zeke said in between kisses. "Then we can eat."

The kissing was getting intense and she was beginning to breathe harder. "Fine."

A clatter in the kitchen made them stop. They stayed quiet until they heard what sounded like the back door slide to a close. Jay eyed the door suspiciously. "What was that?"

"Let's go find out."

They threw on their jeans (Zeke let Jay keep his shirt on whilst he remained shirtless) and the biker cautiously opened the door. Jay reached out and got the first thing within her grasp; the remote for the TV. Armed and ready, she followed her biker out to see what was going on in the house. It couldn't have been Rodney because they would have heard the front door open. And if by some chance he had taken the back door, he would have said something to let the kids know it was him.

Zeke peeked around into the kitchen and he let out a relieved sigh, eased that it wasn't a robber. But that was quickly replaced with anger and he stormed to face the intruder. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

Uncle Earl seemed to be sober and he glanced at Zeke with an unamused expression. "I thought your father would be here, I need to talk to him."

"Go to the shop to talk to him." Zeke was hoping that whatever business Earl had he could take care of it out of the house, away from him and Jay.

"Now hold on," Uncle Earl held a hand up. "You're here so I may as well ask you. I need a place to crash for a while, think Rod would let me stay here?"

Both Zeke and Jay tensed at the idea of having Earl live at the house. Although she didn't know him like Zeke did, Jay knew having Earl stay would be a horrible experience for everyone. A sudden thought came to her: what if when she and Zeke were getting busy, he overheard them (willingly too, because he was a pervert)? Her eyes widened and her disgust whirled her stomach. What if he'd heard them earlier before coming in the house?

While she was thinking about that, Zeke had his own thoughts running through his mind. Before last night, he already had low opinions of Earl. After trying to grope Jay…Well, he wasn't about to let Earl stay because he couldn't stand the sight of him.

"Fat chance," he scoffed. "After what you did to Jay last night, you aren't welcomed to be here anymore."

Bringing that up subconsciously made an arm swing out in front of Jay protectively and he motioned her to get behind him.

Earl seemed confused. "What I did to…?" He scratched his head. "I don't remember doing anything. Why would I? I can CLEARLY see she's yours anyway."

The way he said it made Jay wonder if he was referring to how she was wearing Zeke's shirt. It made her uncomfortable to think he noticed that and her grip on the TV remote tightened.

"Doesn't matter. I don't care if you were too drunk to remember or not. You crossed the line. We don't want anything to do with you."

"We? As in you and your girlfriend?" Earl said in disbelief.

Jay wasn't sure whether she preferred Drunk Earl or not. Sober Earl seemed colder and meaner whereas Drunk Earl was perverted and gross (to the extent of her knowledge, of course).

"We as in me, my girlfriend AND my father." Zeke's tone wasn't one to mess with. "'Cause I don't think you remember that he helped me kick you out last night."

That seemed to shine a new light on the situation and Earl's eyes widened. He lowered his gaze to the floor. "Oh. No, I don't remember that."

"Leave," Zeke jerked his head to the back door. "Find someplace else to stay 'cause it ain't happening here in a million years."

Seeing as how Zeke had the upper hand, Earl complied. He slid the back door open and before he stepped through, he looked at Jay, who put on a hard expression. "I'm sorry you know. Whatever I did. I didn't mean to do it."

Maybe he was expecting the apology to change Zeke's mind, but Zeke wasn't having any of it.

"Go."

Jay wasn't positive, but Earl's expression almost seemed determined as he glanced between herself and Zeke. It was almost as if he was taking note that they were the only things standing in front of the final decision. She didn't like it.

Earl left without saying another word. After a few moments, she and Zeke relaxed and he looked back at her. "You okay?"

That expression….for some reason it made her feel like they were going to see him again real soon. But she nodded. "Yeah."

 **-XYZ-**

o_o Maturity. With the characters, at least. Don't know what else to say...


	4. Chapter 4

4: During Working Hours

"Did you tell your dad about Earl?" Jay asked over the phone.

Zeke shook his head as he poured himself a bowl of cereal with his free hand. It was about 8 or 9 AM and Rodney walked into the kitchen to pour himself his morning dose of coffee. The TV was turned onto the morning news and although Rod seemed to be listening to it, Zeke chose his words wisely when he replied to Jay's question. "No. I didn't…."

 _Want to worry him._ He managed to bite his words.

"Do you know if he even went to talk to him yesterday?"

"I don't think so. I haven't heard anything about it."

"….I don't know, hon. I don't like this one bit."

"I don't either."

"I just…I get this feeling that he might try something again soon. It makes me sound paranoid, but…his expression yesterday…"

Zeke frowned and leaned on the counter, ignoring his breakfast. "What do you mean?"

"Never mind, it's nothing. You should be fine."

 _It's you I'm worried about._ Again, he held his tongue. Rodney caught his gaze and mouthed, _"_ _She good?"_

The biker nodded and turned his attention back to the conversation. "I'll pick you up to take you to work today."

He was hoping he could get a chance to talk about her 'paranoia,' but he became disappointed when she said she would be fine.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I have some stuff I need to do this morning. And you need to start building your new beast for this year's Monster Truck Rally," she added in a playful tone.

Zeke chuckled. "Yeah, that's true."

She laughed along with him before speaking again. "All right, I have to go. I'll see you later, Mongo."

"I'm getting you back for that."

"Yeah you wish," she giggled. "Bye."

Zeke set the phone down and picked up his bowl, going over to the living room to watch the news go over some robbery with his father.

….

Business was slow and with the upcoming Monster Truck Rally, Zeke and his father were working on yet another machine to wreak havoc with. The biker always did love working together with his father on this yearly project. It was something they started back when Rodney was fighting his alcoholism and ever since then, it was basically a tradition. Zeke's friends attended the Rallies, making it a tradition of their own, and celebrated regardless of whether the Thompson's truck made it or not.

This year, Rodney and Zeke decided to work with a Corvette Stingray. It wasn't ideal for a Monster Truck Rally, but they liked the challenge. One way or another, they'd make it suitable.

The Stingray was propped up with a jack and Zeke was underneath it, examining the axel which was slightly out of alignment.

A pair of feet walked inside the garage and Zeke figured it was a customer, seeing how he didn't recognize the way this stranger by the way he walked. He slid out from underneath the car and froze when he saw Uncle Earl with a bag of meat.

"This is getting fucking ridiculous," Zeke snarled, getting to his feet. "I'm getting tired of your bullshit."

"Whoa, whoa. You need to watch it son, I came here in peace." He lifted the meat. "I brought this as a peace offering of sorts."

Zeke scoffed. "I don't care. Giving us a bag of meat won't make what you did any better. And being persistent isn't going to help either."

"Where's your dad? I want to talk to him this time."

The biker scowled. He didn't like how Earl had worded that. It felt like he was addressing him as a child, which was more than irritating. Oh well. As long as he wasn't back at their house or anywhere near Jay for that matter. Zeke waved his hand carelessly and turned to keep working with the Stingray. "Go find him."

Earl stayed still for a moment, as if he was going to try to apologize again, but Rodney walked up to the garage. "Good day si—Earl?"

Uncle Earl greeted him with a smile. "Hey there Rod."

"What are you doing here?"

"I just came to talk to you."

"About what?"

"Hm. So I imagine Zeekie didn't tell you about yesterday?"

"Just as I imagine you didn't go look for him like I told you to," Zeke snapped.

Rodney glanced at his son, but ignored his outburst. "What happened yesterday?"

"I went to ask you for the biggest favor in the world. You see, I need a place to stay an—"

Rodney put a hand up. "Let me just stop you right there, Earl."

 _Told you,_ Zeke wanted to retaliate, but he held his tongue.

"The answer is going to be no."

Earl sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Just two nights, it's all I'm asking for. Anything you want, I'll give it to you. If you want me to pay you for those two days, fine—"

"I'm sorry but I can't do it."

Earl stared at him in disbelief. "What-What is this, huh? Is this retaliation of some sort? Are you getting back at me for abandoning you for six years? You can't scratch my back because you're holding some sort of grudge?"

"Hey you don't—"

"It's okay, son," Rodney placed a hand on Zeke's chest to keep him at bay. "This isn't any sort of pay back for anything, Earl. Things got better during the time you left. I quit drinking. I quit smoking. Our life is going pretty good without you in it to create trouble. I know that if you come back, things are going to get bad again somehow."

Earl pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just two days, Rod. That's all I'm asking for, two days. If I were a stranger, you'd let me stay."

"Yeah, but since I know you it's not going to happen."

"Just leave, Earl. Your shit is getting tiring. Next time you do this, I'm calling the cops," Zeke said.

"What for?" Earl scoffed.

"Trespassing, breaking and entering, attempted rape, I'm sure I'll think of something."

Earl raised an eyebrow at Rodney. "You're letting him talk to his elder like that with no consequences?"

"He's MY son, Earl. Leave the discipline and raising to me."

"And besides, I don't care if you're my elder or not. That means jack shit ever since you tried to grope Jay."

"I was drunk! I don't remember that!"

"All the more reason."

Earl scoffed in disbelief. "So that's the way it's going to be then? There's no way I'm going to convince you?"

"No," Rodney said sternly.

"Fine." Earl turned and walked out of their shop. "I'll see you on the flipside, Scumbag Thompsons."


End file.
